Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Without further ado, here are this year's timely Bananas. Others may straggle in, in fact some people are only posting their's today… I will tag them on to this blog as and when, so come back and visit later too!

You will notice Angie Cope's Mardi Gras banana headdress, some wonderful original stamps and general joy, both in spirit and colour. I wish I could find some banana apparel!

Carina Granlund's envelope is all about men, no explicit mention of a banana, just general silliness which we all love! And that wonderful Carina expressive style. I feel like the banana is performing and I am part of the audience. I might even get my guitar out and start stumming and singing along.

Dean's amusement centre is definately bananalicious! My whole studio smells like a banana. The contraption at the bottom looks a little scary and I'm sure my bum looks fat in that mirror!

Jay is givig me a French lesson. How 'bout you, do you prefer peaches or bananas? Personally I'm into pears at the moment, but we're all about bananas today, and I LOVE Jay's stamp!

Kat's tropical bananas are a welcome sight after all the rain we've had lately. Hooray for International world Banana appreciation day! Hooray for the banana, horray for tropical colours.

Stripy goose couldn't resist putting a range of funky fowl on her banana missive and I wanted to do the banana with them by the end of my reading. I can't see the moon tonight, but for sure it's a banana! Thank you all.

Angie Cope

Angie Cope

Carina Granlund

Carina Granlund

Carina Granlund

Dean

Dean

Jay Block

Jay Block

Katerina Nikoltsou

Katerina Nikoltsou

Katerina Nikoltsou

Katerina Nikoltsou

Stripygoose

Stripygoose

Heleen de Vaan's banana mail arrived post blog. It's always something of a let down when the bananas stop coming in, and Heleen;s versatility and the depth of this posting made its arrival even more special! It also reminds me to notice the banana as they are all SO different!

Th final banana to slide in was from Mim! This expressive banana is basking in yellow and it feels utterly happy. I want to rush in to the house to change my clothes, not sure that I have any yellow, though. Why not? Perhaps if I strt wearing yellow I will keep smiling until 2015 World Banana Apprciation Day…

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Jane Lewis reminds me that Monday mornings has its own special ritual...somewhere in Sudbury, most Mondays, you will find a group of people who love to draw the model. They are covering the windows with plastic, stretching a sheet over a bed sized piece of foam, carrying furniture from the hallway, unpacking their charcoal, pencils, ink and pastels while preparing for the arrival of the model. We have a series of different models and Sue organises the whole thing brilliantly. Some models have been coming since the group began. It is a very special gathering. There is a ritual to the process: we sign in a book, pay our contribution, look intently, make as little noise as possible, hoping to capture the model in some way while she moves from pose to pose (before tea). We look at each other's work, refill the kettle and discover each other as another week passes. After tea there is always a twenty minute pose, but someone always forgets this 'rule' and it's been that way for twenty years. I agree with Jane, our life drawing group is the quintessential ritual!What a fabulous idea, and what a beautiful piece of mail art!

Thursday, November 13, 2014

An envelope from Cleo is something to savour. Before you even slide the letter opener under the opening, there is the colour to celebrate, an aesthetic triumph every time. I'm never sure if Claire makes each element of her mailings herself or whether she finds some things and makes others. I know she collects washi tape but does she make her own too? If she doesn't she should invent a way to do that. People would buy it.

We don't have wax paper in the UK, but of course, as an American I know about it. Claire uses its earthy semi-transparence with flair. As a lover of the play between seeing through and hiding, the wrapped contents of the envelope was a perfect beginning to this gift. Claire's mailings feel like gifts.

So I scanned and scanned to give you sense of the treats I received and how each one is thoroughly considered, stands on its own but interactes with other components. In the end I am sure that you will agree that Claire is the queen of ephemera, but only in the most positive way.... I like this definition:

'collectable items that were originally expected to have only short-term usefulness or popularity' - obviously whether expected or not, Claire's mail art has lasting impact and popularity!

Gathering 19 - for Rebecca Nov 02 2014

Washi Tape Samples

Washi Tape Samples

Claire (AKA Cleo) also wrote me a note thanking me for something I had sent some time ago and apologising - APOLOGISING. No need, Claire. I am delighted and inspired. Thank's for thinking of me and including me in you gatherings mailing!

Sunday, November 2, 2014

A HUGE thank you to John for a stuffed envelope full of collaborative bookies! I've chosen a page from each to entice you with! I hope to add to this blog when I have a bit more time and scan them in their entirety. Treasures.

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About Me

I'm an artist-educator who uses imagery in all that I do, from painting, drawing, print-making and mail art to reflective journals around action research in schools. I believe in creating learning environments that are democratic, and collaborative where we are honest, open and caring.